Secretaries revise regulations governing rural determination process

On Nov. 4, 2015, the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior revised the regulations governing the rural determination process for the Federal Subsistence Management Program in Alaska. The Secretaries have removed specific guidelines, including requirements regarding population data, the aggregation of communities, and the decennial review. This change will allow the Federal Subsistence Board to define which communities of Alaska are nonrural (all other communities and areas would; therefore, be rural). This new process will enable the Board to be more flexible in making decisions and to take into account regional differences found throughout the State. The process will allow for greater input from the Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils, Federally recognized Tribes of Alaska, Alaska Native Corporations and the public.

This rule is effective on Nov. 4, 2015. This rule and public comments received on the proposed rule may be found at www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-R7-SM-2014-0063. Board meeting transcripts are available for review at the Office of Subsistence Management, 1011 East Tudor Road, MS 121, Anchorage, AK 99503-6199 or on the Federal Subsistence Management Program website located at www.doi.gov/subsistence.

Additional information on the Federal Subsistence Management Program can be found at www.doi.gov/subsistence.

PDF version

Missing out on the latest Federal subsistence issues?  If you’d like to receive emails and notifications on the Federal Subsistence Management Program you may subscribe for regular updates by emailing fws-fsb-subsistence-request@lists.fws.gov.